Jump to content

What Do You Look For In A Summer Camp?


Recommended Posts

Do the Scouts in your unit choose to attend your council camp or do you go out of council?  What do the Scouts look for when choosing one camp over another?  

 

What's your favorite BSA camp?

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • Replies 44
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Posts

qwazse,   They have an active UC. This troop and pack recently changed sponsors. Actually going back to the one they had years ago. Great church with lots of support. The CC for both the pac

I know what the Scouters look for....

I have seen camps that have adult-only food and drinks but they never looked like that!     I can see keeping the adults at bay and providing special corners but I like to drink/eat exactly what my Sc

I have seen camps that have adult-only food and drinks but they never looked like that!  :D   I can see keeping the adults at bay and providing special corners but I like to drink/eat exactly what my Scouts are having, provided the camp uses a dining hall rather than patol-style cooking in campsites.

  • Upvote 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

@@LeCastor, to be serious for us it breaks down like this:

  • Scouts look for a water front or water activities, MB offerings (either stuff they can't earn locally or well-run specialty badges), training and other "fun stuff". Free time is key. Dinning hall is a big thing. They consider it a break from the usual camping. Nice facilities (toilets, showers, tents) are also high on the punch list. Different locations (e.g., something that doesn't look like home) and travel are also big. Sight-seeing along the route too (Route 66, Mt. Vernon, etc.). Good food!!!!
  • Scouters look for much of the same things the boys do (training, free time, nice facilities). I'd say training is a big one. Having a SM-lounge with WiFi to post pics, update troop blogs or FB pages is important too.
  • Upvote 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

We went out of council last year, the older Scouts decided on it. All of the Scout that wen loved it so much, they persuaded those who didn't go to go back this year.

 

What the guys who have been to the local council and the OOC camps liked were the nite time activities, bikes allowed for travelling, BMX track, skateboard area, and the waterslide.  All the guys who have only been ot the OOC camp loved the waterslide and BMX tracks.

 

Now what I look for is a camp that doesn't focus solely on MBs.

One ASM looks for a camp with poor wireless reception so work wont try an call him in on :D

The other ASM last year wanted to go to a camp far enough away where he could delegate some duties to his associate pastor.  Alas, he lost out as camp is 50 minutes away. :p

  • Upvote 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

......

What the guys who have been to the local council and the OOC camps liked were the nite time activities, bikes allowed for travelling, BMX track, skateboard area, and the waterslide.  All the guys who have only been ot the OOC camp loved the waterslide and BMX tracks.

.....

I'm still a Cub Scouter, so I'm just looking at this from the outside, with an eye to the future....

 

I'm curious, what sort of nighttime activities do you mean?

 

I have to add this... I was a cub scout as a kid, then we moved so I was out of scouting a while before getting back in for a short time... I only went to summer camp once, but I remember only 2 things about it

1) a nightime capture the flag event, scouts start in the dining hall and have to go through the scout reservation any route possible to the lodge at the other side....without getting caught by the leaders who are out trying to catch them.

2) Exploits on the sound with my friends in the sailboat... and that is only because one of the boys got knocked out cold from the boom

Link to post
Share on other sites

I'm still a Cub Scouter, so I'm just looking at this from the outside, with an eye to the future....

 

I'm curious, what sort of nighttime activities do you mean?

 

 

Making sure your unit or the camp has a good set of night activities is helpful to making the whole experience fun. You can see what each camp does and then add your own unit-based stuff (dessert contest, campfire, movie night, etc.).

 

I know a few camps that do night hikes, night golf/frisbee, volleyball or other stuff. Several camps have trips outside the camp (e.g., Mt. Rushmore). Pretty cool.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Woodruff in Blairsville, GA has a fun spoof merit badge event one evening each week.  Last year it was an Elvis movie and each Scout earned a badge with the King on it.   :)

 

I think it was Alexander or Woodruff that had Citizenship in the Universe one year. MB was Mr. Spock.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Our local camp, Ed Bryant Scout Reservation, is launching ATVs and Jetskis this summer.  

 

When they say "council use" I assume that means ATVs can only be used at council camps? Or is that by council staff?

 

How's your council getting away with PWC like Jetskis? Did they get "certified" to use them by national? See page 61.

Link to post
Share on other sites

When they say "council use" I assume that means ATVs can only be used at council camps? Or is that by council staff?

 

How's your council getting away with PWC like Jetskis? Did they get "certified" to use them by national? See page 61.

 

The ATVs, as I understand it, are to be used at our council's camps.  As for the Jetskis, I only know they've been announced.   ;)

Link to post
Share on other sites

The ATVs, as I understand it, are to be used at our council's camps.  As for the Jetskis, I only know they've been announced.   ;)

 

I found that wording on page 61 interesting. It reads as if PWC are verboten UNLESS the council somehow certifies the program at their own camp. Wondering how that gets done. Having PWCs at a waterfront is dangerous unless they are used FAR away from all other craft.  Accident waiting to happen.

 

Why not allow councils to have go-kart tracks?

Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...